ἐκτός

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Sun, 11/26/2023 - 21:45

Word-form

ἐχθές

Transliteration (Word)

khthes

English translation (word)

yesterday

Transliteration (Etymon)

ektos

English translation (etymon)

outside

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus?

Century

1 AD

Reference

De adverbiis 147, 20

Edition

R. Schneider, Grammatici graeci, vol. 2, t. 1, Leipzig, 1878

Source

Etym. Gudianum Additamenta

Ref.

Additamenta in Etym. Gudianum e codd. Vat. Barber. gr. 70 + Paris. suppl. gr. 172, epsilon p. 573

Ed.

E.L. de Stefani, Etymologicum Gudianum, fasc. 1 & 2, Leipzig: Teubner, 1:1909; 2:1920

Quotation

Ἐχθές· ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος 
παρὰ τὸ ἐκτὸς τοῦ χρόνου γεγονὸς κατάστημα ἐκτές, εἶτα τῶν ψιλῶν εἰς δασέα μεταπεσόντων ἐχθές

Translation (En)

"Ekhthes "yesterday": Apollonios says that from the state that has become ektos "outside" time, one obtains *ektes, and then, by change of the non aspirate into aspirate stops, ekhthes"

Comment

This etymology relies on a simple manipulation, the aspiration / deaspiration of stops. It may have been suggested by the fact that most adverbs with a spatial meaning, like ἐκτός "outside" also have a temporal meaning, like ἐνταῦθα "there / then", πάλιν "back / again". As can be seen from the other formulations (see Parallels), the form χθές was considered secondary with respect to ἐχθές, for etymological reasons (and the grammarian Tryphon also taught that the form ἐχθές was the regular one and that χθές resulted from a deletion of [e], for reasons having nothing to do with etymology: ap. Apollonius Dysc., De adverbiis p. 556). From the modern point of view it is the opposite, χθές is older.

Parallels

Herodian, Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 182 (ποῖόν ἐστιν ἀναλογώτερον καὶ κυριώτερον καὶ πρῶτον τὸ χθές ἢ τὸ ἐχθές; τὸ ἐχθές. καὶ δῆλον, πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐτυμολογίας, ὅτι ἐχθές εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ ἐκτὸς γεγενῆσθαι τῆς σήμερον. παρὰ τὸ ἐκτὸς τοῦ χρόνου γεγονὸς κατάστημα ἐκτές καὶ τροπῇ τῶν ψιλῶν εἰς δασέα ἐχθές "which is the more regular and proper and primary, χθές or ἐχθές? Ἐχθές, and this is clear first from etymology, because ἐχθές is said from the fact that it has become outside today. From the state that has become ektos "outside" time, on obtains *ektes, and then, by change of the non aspirate into aspirate stops, ekhthes."); Orion, Etymologicum, chi, p. 162 (Χθές. ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ε. ἡ γὰρ ἐχθέσασα ἡμέρα καὶ 
ἐκτὸς γενομένη οὕτως εἴρηται, χθές); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 405 (Ἐχθὲς καὶ Χθές: Οἱ Ἀττικοὶ, χθές· οἱ δὲ κοινοὶ, ἐχθές. Πρῶτον δὲ τὸ ἐχθὲς τοῦ χθές· καὶ   δῆλον, πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐτυμολογίας, ὅτι ἐχθὲς εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ ἐκτὸς γεγενῆσθαι τῆς σήμερον. Παρὰ τὸ ἐκτὸς τοῦ χρόνου γεγονὸς κατάστημα, ἐκτές· καὶ τροπῇ τῶν ψιλῶν εἰς δασέα, ἐχθές); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, epsilon, p. 943 (idem)

Modern etymology

The older form is χθές, the prothetic ἐ- found in the form of koine Greek is secondary. IE *dhghies-, cognate with Lat. heri "yesterday", Germ. gestern, Engl. yesterday (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

The forms εχθές/χθες, εχτές/χτες are all used in Modern Greek to designate 1. yesterday, 2. the near past (Triandafyllidis, Dictionary of Modern Greek)

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